Whirlpools and storms his circling arm invest, Sudden, a burst of thunder fhook the flood: 295 300 Lo Smedley rofe in majesty of mud! First he relates, how finking to the chin, 310 Then fung, how shown him by the nut-brown maids A branch of Styx here rifes from the Shades, That tinctur'd as it runs with Lethe's ftreams, 315 And wafting vapours from the land of Dreams, (As under feas Alphaus' fecret fluice Bears Pifa's offerings to his Arethuse) Pours into Thames: Each City bowl is full Of the mixt wave, and all who drink grow dull. 320 While Milbourn there, deputed by the rest, 325 And "Take (he faid) these robes which once were mine, Dulness is facred in a found Divine." 330 He ceas'd, and fhow'd the robe; the crowd confefs The rev'rend Flamen in his lengthen'd drefs. Slow moves the Goddefs from the fable flood, (Her Priest preceding) thro' the gates of Lud. Her Critics there fhe fummons, and proclaims A gentler exercise to clofe the games. Here you! !in whose grave heads, as equal scales, I weigh what author's heavinefs prevails; 336 Which moft conduce to footh the foul in flumbers, If there be man who o'er fuch works can wake, 340 345 Three Cambridge Sophs and three pert Templars came, The fame their talents, and their tastes the same, Each prompt to query, answer, and debate, And fmit with love of Poefy and Prate, 350 The pond'rous books two gentle readers bring, The heroes fit; the vulgar form a ring. The The clam'rous crowd is hufh'd with mugs of Mum, Till all tun'd equal, fend a genʼral hum. 355 361 Then mount the clerks, and in one lazy tone, 370 Then down are roll'd the books; stretch'd o'er'em lies 375 Like motion, from one circle to the rest; So from the mid-most the nutation spreads Round, and more round, o'er all the fea of heads. At last Centlivre felt her voice to fail, Motteux himself unfinish'd left his tale, 380 Boyer the State, and Law the Stage gave o'er, Nor Kelsey talk'd, nor Nafo whisper'd more; Norton, Norton, from Daniel and Oftræa fprung, Blefs'd with his father's front, and mother's tongue, Hung filent down his never-blushing head; 385 And all was hufh'd, as Folly's felf lay dead. And to mere mortals feem'd a Priest in drink: While others, timely, to the neighbouring Fleet 395 (Haunt of the Muses) made their safe retreat. THE END OF THE SECOND BOOK. AFTER the other perfons are difpofed in their proper places of reft, the Goddess transports the King to her Temple, and there lays him to flumber with his head on her lap; a pofition of marvellous virtue, which caufes all the Vifions of wild enthufiafts, projectors, politicians, inamoratos, cafile-builders, chymists, and poets. He is immediately carried on the wings of Fancy to the Elyzian shade; where on the banks of Lethe the fouls of the dull are dipped by Bavius, before their entrance into this world. There he is met by the ghost of Settle, and by him made acquainted with the wonders of the place, and with thofe which he is himself defined to perform. He takes him to a Mount of Vifion, from whence he fhews him the past triumphs of the Empire of Dulness, then the prefent, and lafily the future: How fmall a part of the world was ever conquered by Science, how foon those conquefts were flopped, and thofe very nations again reduced to her dominion. Then distinguishing the Island of Great Britain, fhews by what aids, and by what perfons, it fhall be forthwith brought to her empire. Thefe he caufes to pass in review before his eyes, defcribing each by his proper figure, character, and qualifications. On a fudden the |